Delay could drive villagers round bend
A Perthshire councillor feels a land dispute halting the installation of vital roundabout traffic lights could cause more misery for residents in a nearby village.
Perth and Kinross Council and Dundee City Council both previously granted Springfield Properties permission to change the shape of the Swallow Roundabout’s central island, widen its lanes and approaches and add traffic lights to ease congestion partly caused by the company’s housing development at Dykes of Gray.
However, the developer is understood to be in negotiations over the clarity of the ownership of land north of the roundabout.
The land is listed on the DCC website as belonging to the “Residue of Invergowrie Estate - Trustees of Christopher
Clayhills Henderson Lifevent Trust”.
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said it is “aware of the ongoing issue” and noted that officers are “working to ensure that the roundabout improvement works are undertaken at the appropriate time in the course of the ongoing development at Western Gateway.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson added it understood discussions are “progressing” between Springfield and the landowner, but that there would be “no decision on the request for deferment in the works at Swallow Roundabout until there is clarity on ownership of the land.”
The PA revealed last August that the upgrade works, due to start in May 2019, were to be delayed until this year.
And in preparation of those works, Carse of Gowrie councillor Angus Forbes ensured speed bumps were fitted on Invergowrie’s Main Street to reduce the risk of drivers speeding through the town to dodge queues likely to build up while any Swallow Roundabout work was being carried out.
But Cllr Forbes feels the project remaining in limbo will cause more unrest for Invergowrie residents: “I am very disappointed that this has been delayed again.
“Last spring I pushed the council to install some sort of traffic-calming measures on Main Street, Invergowrie, they agreed it was necessary with the roundabout works due to start.
“The people of Invergowrie have had to endure these speed bumps for a year unnecessarily and that is unacceptable.
“I really hope that the developer and the landowner can come to an agreement very quickly.”
Fellow councillor Alasdair Bailey said: “I would welcome improvements to safety at Swallow Roundabout but those improvements have to be planned with all aspects of safety in mind.
“My concern with the now approved current plans was that they will lead to more ratrunning through Invergowrie which, in turn, creates a road safety issue in a different location.
“It’s no good moving the problem around, we have to tackle the problems of congestion head-on rather than shifting them from the main roads to the wee routes through villages.”
Fellow councillor Beth Povers added: “I’m disappointed to learn that the planned development of the roundabout will be delayed which will compromise the safety of road users.
“I look forward to the prompt resolution of the dispute with landowner to enable this upgrade to proceed as soon as possible.”
Springfield Properties central managing director Peter Matthews said the company remains fully committed to upgrading the roundabout.